System, apparatus, and method for cooking using RF oven

ABSTRACT

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for cooking a food item using RF oven. The food item may include a tag containing information regarding food items associated with the food item. The RF oven may include an interface to receive the information. The RF oven may also include a processor to determine an amount of energy to be delivered to the food item based on the information. The processor may be configured to cause a RF power source to supply RF energy to cook the food item based on the determined amount of energy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/989,848,filed on May 28, 2013, which is a national phase of InternationalApplication No. PCT/IB2011/003008, filed on Nov. 29, 2011, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/417,683, filed on Nov.29, 2010. The disclosure of each of the above applications isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods forfood cooking using radio frequency (RF) oven.

BACKGROUND

Cooking food using a conventional oven or stove, a cook usually controlsat least one of two parameters during the cooking process: the cookingtime and cooking temperature (or degree of heat in the stove). Usually,cooking is performed by heat convection and/or conduction from theoutside towards the interior part of the food. On the other hand, whencooking food using electromagnetic (EM) energy, such as EM energy in theradio frequency (RF) range, EM energy may be absorbed by the food andtransferred into thermal energy, which in turn may cause the temperatureof the food to rise.

SUMMARY

Some disclosed embodiments may include a packaged food item. Thepackaged food item may include packaging, a food item to be cookedassociated with the packaging, and a machine readable element associatedwith the packaging. The machine readable element may include informationfor use by a processor in determining instructions forelectromagnetically cooking the food item. The information may includeone or more values configured to enable the processor to determine anamount of energy to be absorbed by the food item for cooking.

Other disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus, for example an RFoven, and a method for processing (e.g., heating, cooking) food. Theapparatus and method may involve an interface and a processor. Theprocessor may be configured to receive food-identifying informationcharacterizing at least one food item to be heated. The processor mayalso be configured to determine, based on the food-identifyinginformation, an amount of electromagnetic energy to be absorbed by theat least one food item in order to achieve a desired processing result.The processor may be further configured to cause application of thedetermined electromagnetic energy to the at least one food item.

Other disclosed embodiments may include an electromagnetic energyprocessing apparatus. The apparatus may involve an interface and aprocessor. The processor may be configured to receive characterizinginformation relating to an object to be processed. The processor mayalso be configured to cause electromagnetic energy to be applied to theobject such that a first amount of energy is absorbed by the object. Inaddition, the processor may be configured to determine atime-temperature profile associated with the object resulting from theabsorption of the first amount of energy to the object. Moreover, theprocessor may be configured to determine, based on the characterizinginformation, the first amount of energy absorbed by the object, and thetime-temperature profile, a second amount of energy to be absorbed bythe object to achieve a predetermined processing result. The processormay be also configured to cause electromagnetic energy to be applied tothe object such that the second amount of energy is absorbed by theobject.

Other disclosed embodiments may include a method for processing anobject using electromagnetic energy. The method may comprise: receiving,via an interface, characterizing information relating to the object;acquiring, by a processor, a time-temperature profile for heating theobject that includes a temperature increase segment and a constanttemperature segment; delivering, from a source of electromagneticenergy, energy to the object and measure the temperature change of atleast a portion of the object and the initial amount of energy absorbedby the object due to the delivery of energy; determining, by theprocessor, a first amount of electromagnetic energy to be absorbed bythe object in order to provide the temperature increase segment based onthe characterizing information, the measured temperature, and theinitial amount of energy absorbed; causing absorption of the firstamount of electromagnetic energy by the object to provide thetemperature increase segment; determining, by the processor, a secondamount of electromagnetic energy to be absorbed by the object in orderto achieve the constant temperature segment based on the characterizinginformation and at least one of the first amount of energy and theinitial amount of energy; and causing absorption of the second amount ofelectromagnetic energy by the object to provide the constant temperaturesegment.

Some disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus forelectromagnetically processing at least two food componentssimultaneously. The apparatus may include an interface and a processor.The processor may be configured to receive information characterizing afirst food component to be heated, e.g., heated, cooked etc. Theprocessor may also be configured to receive information characterizing asecond food component to be heated. The processor may also be configuredto determine, based on the information characterizing the first foodcomponent to be heated, a first amount of energy to be absorbed by thefirst food component. The processor may further be configured todetermine, based on the information characterizing the second foodcomponent to be heated, a second amount of energy to be absorbed by thesecond food component. Moreover, the processor may be configured toregulate energy delivery to the first and second food components, suchthat a total amount of energy absorbed by the food components is afunction of the determined first and second amounts of energy.

Another disclosed embodiment may include a prepackaged food item. Theprepackaged food item may include a container, first and second fooditems in the container, and a machine readable element associated withthe container. The machine readable element may include information foruse by a processor in determining instructions for cooking the fooditem. The information may include a first set of one or more valuesconfigured to enable the processor to determine an amount of energy tobe absorbed by the first food item. The information may also include asecond set of one or more values configured to enable the processor todetermine an amount of energy to be absorbed by the second food item.

Some other disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus forelectromagnetically cooking a food item. The apparatus may include aninterface and a processor. The processor may be configured to receivecharacterizing information indicative of whether the food item issubstantially homogeneous. When the characterizing information indicatesthat the food item is substantially homogeneous, the processor may alsobe configured to receive classification information associated with thefood item and a weight value associated with the food item; determine anamount of energy to be absorbed by the food item based on thecharacterizing information, the classification information, and the massvalue; and control at least one source of electromagnetic such that thedetermined amount of energy is absorbed by the food item.

Some other disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus forelectromagnetically processing, e.g., cooking, a non-homogeneous fooditem. The apparatus may include an interface and a processor. Theprocessor may be configured to receive classification informationidentifying a food type associated with each component in the food itemand a weight value associated with each of the components. The processormay also be configured to determine an amount of energy to be absorbedby the food item based on the classifying information, and a pluralityof weight values. The processor may be further configured to control atleast one source of electromagnetic energy to deliver energy to the fooditem such that the determined amount of energy is absorbed by the fooditem.

Other disclosed embodiments may include a packaged food item. Thepackaged food item may include a packaging, a food item to be cooked atleast partially disposed within the packaging, and a machine readableelement associated with the packaging. The machine readable element mayinclude information relating to at least one of storing conditions, saltcontents, fat content, moisture content, aging conditions, initialtemperature of the food item, or the like. The information may beconfigured for use by a processor in determining instructions forelectromagnetically cooking the food item. The information may furtherinclude one or more values configured to determine an amount of energyto be absorbed by the food item during cooking.

Other disclosed embodiments may include an apparatus for processing anobject using electromagnetic energy. The apparatus may include aninterface and a processor. The processor may be configured to: receive,via the interface, characterizing information relating to the object;acquire a time-temperature profile for processing the object thatincludes a temperature increase segment and a constant temperaturesegment; deliver electromagnetic energy to the object and measure thetemperature change of at least a portion of the object and an initialamount of energy absorbed by the object due to the delivery of energy;determine a first amount of electromagnetic energy to be absorbed by theobject in order to provide the temperature increase segment based on thecharacterizing information, the measured temperature, and the initialamount of energy absorbed; cause absorption of the first amount ofelectromagnetic energy by the object to provide the temperature increasesegment; determine a second amount of electromagnetic energy to beabsorbed by the object in order to achieve the constant temperaturesegment based on the characterizing information and at least one of thefirst amount of energy or the initial amount of energy; and causeabsorption of the second amount of electromagnetic energy by the objectto provide the constant temperature segment.

The preceding summary is not intended to restrict in any way the scopeof the claimed invention. In addition, it is to be understood that boththe foregoing general description and the following detailed descriptionare exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of theinvention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and exemplaryaspects of the present invention and, together with the description,explain principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a system for cooking a fooditem using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments;

FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic representation of an RF oven for food cookingusing electromagnetic energy, in accordance with some exemplarydisclosed embodiments;

FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic representation of apparatuses for providing RFpower, in accordance with several exemplary disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 3 provides an exemplary flow chart of a method for cooking fooditems using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments;

FIG. 4A provides an exemplary flow chart of a method for cooking fooditems using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments;

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary time-temperature profile and anexemplary time-energy profile, in accordance with some exemplarydisclosed embodiments;

FIG. 4C provides an exemplary flow chart of a method for cooking fooditems using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments;

FIG. 5 provides an exemplary flow chart of a method for cooking fooditems using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments; and

FIG. 6 provides an exemplary flow chart of a method for cooking fooditems using an RF oven, in accordance with some exemplary disclosedembodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. When appropriate, the same reference numbers are usedthroughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Embodiments of the invention may involve systems, apparatuses andmethods for applying electromagnetic energy to process an object in anenergy application zone. Electromagnetic energy processing apparatus maybe any apparatus configured to apply electromagnetic energy, for examplein the RF frequency range, to process an object placed in the energyapplication zone. An object is consider to be processed byelectromagnetic energy (e.g., RF energy) if at least one property in atleast a portion of the object has changed due to electromagnetic energyapplication. For example, electromagnetic energy processing apparatusmay be a cooking oven that cooks food items by applying RF radiation tothe food items; such process may also be called RF cooking process. Afood item is considered cooked in an RF oven if at least a portion ofthe item (e.g., at least one food ingredient or food component) hasbeen: thawed, cooked, baked, browned, warmed, roasted, etc., by applyingelectromagnetic energy (e.g., RF energy). As used herein, the term“system” may include any apparatuses, objects, or the combinationthereof. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100including a packaged food item 101 and an RF oven 108, in accordancewith some embodiments of the invention. An RF oven may be anelectromagnetic energy processing apparatus that applies electromagneticenergy in the RF frequency range to process (e.g., cook) an objectplaced in the RF oven. Packaged food item 101 may include a packaging102. A food item 104 may be associated with packaging 102. Food item 104may contain one or more food components and may comprise one or moreingredients. As used herein, the term “food component” refers generallyto any part or entirety of a food item, including but not limited to: apart or entirety of a food item that is a mixture of several differentkinds of food ingredients, e.g., a food component may be a meat ballmade of meat, vegetables, and spices. The term “food ingredient” refersgenerally to one kind of food material, e.g., potato, beans, or meat. Afood component may contain one or more food ingredients; while a foodingredient, when separated physically into two or more parts, may alsobe referred as different food components. However, when not in doubt,the terms “food component” and “food ingredient” may be usedinterchangeably. A machine readable element, e.g., a tag 106, may beassociated with packaging 102. Tag 106 may contain information regardingfood item 104. Such information may be obtained through an interface 110of RF oven 108 to process (e.g., cook, thaw, heat, etc.) packaged foodproduct 101 using RF oven 108. The machine readable element may beconfigured to be read using AIDC technology and referred to as an AIDCelement. For example, an element reader may use any type of Auto IDCapture (AIDC) technology. Automatic Identification and Data Capture(AIDC) refers to the methods of automatically identifying objects,collecting data about them, and entering that data directly intocomputer systems. Technologies typically considered as part of AIDCinclude bar codes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), magneticstripes, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and smart cards. AIDC mayalso be referred to as “Automatic Identification,” “Auto-ID,” and“Automatic Data Capture.” The element reader may include a printed codereader (e.g., a barcode reader, a matrix code reader, etc.), an RFIDreader, or a combination of such technologies. In some embodiments,interface 110 may include one or more device to implement AIDCtechnology. For example, interface 110 may include the element readerdiscussed above.

FIG. 2A illustrates an electromagnetic energy processing apparatus, suchas RF oven 108, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Inaddition to interface 110 (as illustrated in FIG. 1), RF oven 108 mayinclude a processor 112, an RF power source 114, radiating elements 118a, 118 b, and 118 c, a detector 120, and an energy application zone 116,which encloses or partially encloses packaged food product 101. As usedherein, the term apparatus may include any component or group ofcomponents described herein. For example, an apparatus may refer only toa processor, such as processor 112, as illustrated in FIG. 2A.Alternatively, an apparatus may include a combination of a processor(e.g., 112) and one or more radiating elements (e.g., 118 a, 118 b,and/or 118 c); a processor (e.g., 112), an energy application zone(e.g., 116), and one or more radiating elements (e.g., 118 a, 118 b,and/or 118 c); a processor (e.g., 112) and a source of electromagneticenergy (e.g., 114); a processor (e.g., 112), an energy application zone(e.g., 116), one or more radiating elements (e.g., 118 a, 118 b, and/or118 c), and a source of electromagnetic energy (e.g., 114); or any othercombination of components described herein.

The term electromagnetic energy, as used herein, includes any or allportions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including but not limited to,radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), near infrared, visible light,ultraviolet, etc. In some cases, applied electromagnetic energy mayinclude RF energy with a wavelength of 100 km to 1 mm, which correspondsto a frequency of 3 KHz to 300 GHz. In some cases, RF energy within anarrower frequency range, e.g., 1 MHz-100 GHz, 500 MHz-1 GHz, 800 MHz-1GHz, may be applied. Microwave and ultra high frequency (UHF) energy,for example, are both within the RF range. Even though examples of theinvention are described herein in connection with the application of RFenergy, these descriptions are provided to illustrate a few exemplaryprinciples of the invention, and are not intended to limit the inventionto any particular portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

In addition, reference to an object (or load, such as packaged foodproduct 101 or food item 104) to which electromagnetic energy is appliedis not limited to a particular form. An object may include a liquid,solid, or gas, depending upon the particular process with which one ormore embodiments of the invention are utilized, and the object mayinclude composites or mixtures of matter in one or more differingphases. Further, although the term object is in the singular, it mayrefer to multiple items or detached parts or components. Thus, by way ofa non-limiting example, the term object may encompass such matter asfood to be cooked; frozen material to be thawed; liquids to be thawed,heated, boiled, or vaporized; or any other material for which there is adesire to apply electromagnetic energy.

In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, a system,apparatus, or method may further involve the use of an energyapplication zone, such as energy application zone 116, as shown in FIG.2A. An energy application zone may include any void, location, region,or area where electromagnetic energy may be applied. It may include ahollow, or may be filled or partially filled with liquids, solids,gases, or combinations thereof. By way of example only, an energyapplication zone may include the interior of an enclosure, interior of apartial enclosure, interior of a conduit, open space, solid, or partialsolid, which allows for the existence, propagation, and/or resonance ofelectromagnetic waves. The zone may be permanent or may be temporarilyconstituted for purposes of energy application. For ease of discussion,all such alternative energy application zones may alternatively bereferred to as cavities, with the understanding that the term cavityimplies no particular physical structure other than an area in whichelectromagnetic energy may be applied.

Electromagnetic waves in the energy application zone may exhibit acertain field pattern. A “field pattern” may refer to an electromagneticfield configuration characterized by, for example, the amplitude ofelectric field intensity distribution in the energy application zone. Ingeneral, electromagnetic field intensity is time varying and spatiallydependent. That is, not only may the field intensity differ at differentspatial locations, but for a given location in space, the fieldintensity can vary in time or may oscillate, often in a sinusoidalfashion. Therefore, at different spatial locations, the fieldintensities may not reach their maximum values (i.e., their amplitudevalues) at the same time.

A field pattern may be excited by applying electromagnetic energy to theenergy application zone. As used herein, the term “excited” isinterchangeable with “generated,” “created,” and “applied.” In general,a field pattern in an energy application zone may be uneven (i.e.,non-uniform). That is, the field pattern may include areas withrelatively high amplitudes of field intensity (also referred to as “hotspots”) and other areas with relatively low amplitudes of fieldintensity (also referred to as “cold spots”). Electromagnetic wavespropagating in an energy application zone may be excited using a certainelectromagnetic mode that may result in a particular electromagneticfield pattern. The electromagnetic field pattern excited in an energyapplication zone using propagating (e.g., traveling) waves (e.g., at asingle frequency) may exhibit varying high amplitude areas of fieldintensity in both time and spatial location in the zone. Electromagneticwaves (e.g., at a single frequency) resonating in the energy applicationzone may be excited such that the high amplitudes of field intensity maybe substantially fixed or stable. A field pattern excited by eitherpropagating or resonating wave(s) may be changed when an object isplaced in the energy application zone. The rate of energy transfer to anobject in the energy application zone may depend upon the amplitude offield intensity. For example, energy delivery may occur faster at areaswith higher amplitude of field intensity than in areas with loweramplitude of field intensity. In fact, energy delivery may occur in allnon-zero intensities that coincide with the object, and the extent ofheating may depend, among other things, on the intensity of the field towhich the object is exposed and the duration of exposure. As usedherein, the term “energy transfer” is interchangeable with “energydelivery.” In some embodiments, a system, apparatus, or method mayinvolve the use of a source configured to supply electromagnetic energyto the energy application zone. A source may include any component orcomponents suitable for generating and supplying electromagnetic energy.For example, electromagnetic energy may be supplied to the energyapplication zone in the form of electromagnetic waves (also known aselectromagnetic radiation) at predetermined wavelengths or frequencies.Electromagnetic waves may include propagating waves, resonating waves,evanescent waves, and/or waves that travel through a medium in any othermanner. Electromagnetic radiation carries energy that may be imparted to(or dissipated into) matter with which it interacts.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the source may include an RF power source 114,which includes one or more components configured to generate RF energy.For example, RF power source 114 may include a magnetron configured togenerate microwaves at predetermined wavelengths or frequencies.Alternatively, referring to FIG. 2B, RF power source 114 may include anoscillator 130, such as a voltage controlled oscillator, configured togenerate AC waveforms (e.g., AC voltage or current) with a constant orvarying frequency. AC waveforms may include sinusoidal waves, squarewaves, pulsed waves, triangular waves, or other types of waveforms withalternating polarities. With oscillator 130, the frequency of the ACwaveforms may be controlled by adjusting, for example, the voltagesupplied to the oscillator. By varying the voltage supplied to theoscillator in a controllable manner, frequency modulation may beachieved. Alternatively, a source of electromagnetic energy may includeany other power supply, such as an electromagnetic field generator,electromagnetic flux generator, or any mechanism for generatingelectromagnetic energy.

Referring to FIG. 2B, RF power source 114 may also include an amplifier132 for amplifying, for example, a waveforms generated by oscillator130. Amplifier 132 may include, for example, a power amplifier includingone or more power transistors. Amplifier 132 may include a step-uptransformer having more turns in the secondary winding than in theprimary winding. In other embodiments, amplifier 132 may include one ormore power electronic devices such as bipolar transistors, MOSFETs,thyristors, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), integratedgate-commutated thyristors (IGCTs), and any other power electronicdevices suitable for amplifying RF signals. The amplifier may includeone or more signal converters, such as AC-to-AC converters,AC-to-DC-to-AC converters, or any other suitable type of converters.Alternatively, amplifier 132 may include any other device(s) orcircuit(s) configured to scale up an input signal to a desired level.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, RF power source 114 may also include at leastone radiating element 134 configured to deliver electromagnetic energyto zone 116. As used herein, the term “radiating element” isinterchangeable with “antenna.” Radiating element 134 may include one ormore waveguides and/or one or more antennas (also known as power feeds)for supplying electromagnetic energy to energy application zone 116. Forexample, radiating element 134 may include slot antennas, dipoleantennas, wire antenna, horn antenna, patch antennas, and other types ofantennas. Alternatively, radiating element 134 may also includewaveguides or antennas of any other kind or form, or any other suitablestructure from which electromagnetic energy may be emitted.

Alternatively, radiating element 134 may be separate from RF powersource 114, as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 2B. In this case,the radiating element may be coupled to the RF power source 114, asshown in FIG. 2A, items 118 a, 118 b, or 118 c. In any events, radiatingelements may be used to deliver RF energy from the source to the cavity.

In some embodiments, RF oven 108 or RF power source (as illustrated inFIG. 2B) may include a modulator 131 for modulating parameters of theelectromagnetic waveforms, e.g., the frequency of individualelectromagnetic waves, and/or the relative phases of two or moreelectromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, modulator 131 may include atleast one of a phase modulator, a frequency modulator, and an amplitudemodulator configured to modify the phase, frequency, and amplitude of anAC waveform, respectively. For example, modulator 131 may include aphase modulator, which may be controlled to perform a predeterminedsequence of time delays on an AC waveform. For example, the phase of oneAC waveform can be increased by a number of degrees (e.g., 10 degrees)relative to the phase of another AC waveform or waveforms for each of aseries of time periods. In some embodiments, processor 112 maydynamically and/or adaptively regulate modulation based on feedback fromenergy application zone 116.

In some embodiments, more than one radiating element may be provided.The radiating elements may be located adjacent to, on, or in one or moresurfaces of the energy application zone. For example, in FIG. 2A,antennas 118 b and 118 c may be located on opposite surfaces of energyapplication zone 116. Alternatively, radiating elements may be locatedinside or outside the energy application zone. When radiating element(s)are located outside the zone, they may be coupled to elements thatenable radiated energy to reach the energy application zone.Additionally or alternatively, when radiating element(s) are locatedoutside the zone, the zone may be made of RF transparent material. Theorientation and configuration of each radiating element may be distinctor the same, based on the requirements of a particular application. Oneor more radiating element(s) may be located inside the zone, and may belocated adjacent to, or in contact with the object. In some embodiments,the radiating element(s) may be embedded in the object or immersed inthe object (e.g., when the object is in a liquid state, for example asoup). Furthermore, the location, orientation, and configuration of eachradiating element may be predetermined before applying energy to theenergy application zone. In certain embodiments, these parameters may bedynamically adjusted, e.g., using a processor, while applying energy.

In addition to delivering electromagnetic energy, radiating element(s),such as antenna 118 a in FIG. 2A, may also be configured to receiveelectromagnetic energy. In other words, as used herein, the termradiating element may broadly refer to any structure from whichelectromagnetic energy may radiate and/or be received, regardless ofwhether the structure was originally designed for purposes of radiatingor receiving energy, and regardless of whether the structure serves anyadditional function.

A system, apparatus, or method of some embodiments may involve the useof a processor, such as processor 112 in FIG. 2A. As used herein, theterm “processor” may include an electric circuit that executes one ormore instructions. For example, such a processor may include one or moreintegrated circuits, microchips, microcontrollers, microprocessors, allor part of a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit(GPU), digital signal processors (DSP), field-programmable gate array(FPGA) or other circuit suitable for executing instructions orperforming logic operations. As used herein, the term “processor” isinterchangeable with “controller.”

The instructions executed by the processor may, for example, bepre-loaded into the processor or may be stored in a separate memory unitsuch as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic medium, aflash memory, other permanent, fixed, or volatile memory, or any othermechanism capable of providing instructions to the processor. Theprocessor(s) may be customized for a particular use, or can beconfigured for general-purpose use and perform different functions byexecuting different software.

If more than one processor is employed, all may be of similarconstruction, or they may be of differing constructions electricallyconnected or independent from one another. They may be separate circuitsor integrated in a single circuit. When more than one processor is used,they may be configured to operate independently or collaboratively. Theymay be coupled electrically, magnetically, optically, acoustically,mechanically, wirelessly or in any other way permitting at least onesignal to be communicated between them.

In some embodiments, processor 112 may control RF power source 114 tocause, for example, a desired field pattern in energy application zone116. For example, the processor may determine and/or select one or moremodulation space elements to generate a desired field pattern in energyapplication zone 116.

The term “modulation space” or “MS” is used to collectively refer to allthe parameters that may affect a field pattern in the energy applicationzone and all combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the “MS” mayinclude all possible components that may be used and their potentialsettings (either absolute or relative to others) and adjustableparameters associated with the components. For example, the “MS” mayinclude a plurality of variable parameters, the number of antennas,their positioning (including location, polarization, and/or orientation,if modifiable), the useable bandwidth, a set of all useable frequenciesand any combinations thereof, power settings, time settings, phases,etc. The MS may have any number of possible variable parameters, rangingbetween one parameter only (e.g., a one dimensional MS limited tofrequency only or phase only—or other single parameter), two or moredimensions (e.g., varying frequency and amplitude together within thesame MS), or many more.

Each variable parameter associated with the MS is referred to an MSdimension. By way of example, a three dimensional modulation space, withthree dimensions designated as frequency (f), phase ((p), and amplitude(A). That is, frequency, phase, and amplitude of the electromagneticwaves are modulated during energy delivery, while all the otherparameters may be predetermined and fixed during energy delivery.

The term “modulation space element” or “MSE” may refer to a specific setof values of the variable parameters in MS. Therefore, the MS may alsobe considered to be a collection of all possible MSEs. For example, twoMSEs may differ one from another in the relative amplitudes of theenergy being supplied to a plurality of radiating elements. An MSE mayhave a specific frequency f(i), a specific phase φ(i), and a specificamplitude A(i). If even one of these MSE variables change, then the newset defines another MSE. For example, (3 GHz, 30°, 12 V) and (3 GHz,60°, 12 V) are two different MSEs, although only the phase componentchanges.

Differing combinations of these MS parameters will lead to differingfield patterns excited in the energy application zone and differingenergy distribution patterns in the object. A plurality of MSEs that canbe executed sequentially or simultaneously to excite a particular fieldpattern in the energy application zone may be collectively referred toas an “energy delivery scheme.” For example, an energy delivery schememay consist of three MSEs (f(1), φ(1), A(1)), (f(2), φ(2), A(2)), and(f(3), φ(3), A(3)). Because there are a virtually infinite number ofMSEs, there are a virtually infinite number of different energy deliveryschemes, resulting in virtually infinite number of differing fieldpatterns in any given energy application zone (although different MSEsmay at times cause highly similar or even identical field patterns). Ofcourse, the number of differing energy deliver schemes may be, in part,a function of the number of MSEs that are available.

A system, apparatus, or method in accordance with some embodiments ofthe invention may involve the use of one or more detectors configured todetect EM feedbacks associated with electromagnetic waves transmittedand/or received by the one or more radiating elements. For example, asshown in FIG. 2A, detector 120 may be coupled to radiating elements 118a-118 c to detect one or more characteristics of the electromagneticwaves being transmitted and/or received. EM energy as used herein mayinclude all detectable parameters of the electromagnetic energy, forexample: power, frequency, energy, current, voltage, phases betweenemissions, etc. EM feedbacks may include any received signal or anyvalue calculated based on one or more received signals, which may beindicative of the dielectric response of the cavity and the object tothe applied RF energy. EM feedback may be MSE-dependent, for example,may include signals, the values of which vary over different MSEs.Electromagnetic feedback may include, for example, input and outputpower levels, scattering parameters (a/k/a S parameters) and valuesderivable from the S parameters and/or from the power levels, forexample, input impedance, dissipation ratio, time or MSE derivative ofany of them, or any other value that may be derivable from the receivedsignals.

Detector 120 may include one or more electric circuits configured tomeasure, sense, monitor, etc. at least one parameter associated with anelectromagnetic wave. For example, such a detector may include a powermeter configured to detect a level of power associated with an incident,reflected and/or transmitted electromagnetic wave (also known as“incident power,” “reflected power,” and “coupled power”). As usedherein, incident power refers to the power provided to the radiatingelement(s); reflected power refers to the power received by a radiatingelement when acting as a receiver; and the coupled power refers to thepower that couples from one radiating element to another (e.g., throughdirect interaction). Such a detector may also include an amplitudedetector configured to detect amplitude of the wave, a phase detectorconfigured to detect a phase of the wave, a frequency detectorconfigured to detect a frequency of the wave, and/or any other circuitsuitable for detecting a characteristic of an electromagnetic wave.

Energy that may be dissipated in or absorbed by an object is referred toherein as “absorbable energy” or “absorbed energy” or “energyabsorption” or “energy dissipation” or “dissipated energy.” Absorbableenergy may be an indicator of the object's capacity to absorb energy(e.g., RF energy) or the ability of the apparatus to cause energy todissipate in a given object (for example—an indication of the upperlimit thereof). In some of the presently disclosed embodiments,absorbable energy may be calculated as a product of the incident energy(e.g., maximum incident energy) supplied to the at least one radiatingelement (e.g., antenna) and a dissipation ratio. Reflected energy (e.g.,the energy not absorbed or coupled) may, for example, be a valueindicative of energy absorbed by the object. By way of another example,processor 112 may calculate or estimate absorbable energy based on theportion of the incident energy that is reflected and the portion that iscoupled. The estimation or calculation may serve as a value indicativeof absorbed and/or absorbable energy.

Absorbable energy may also include energy that may be dissipated in thestructures of the energy application zone in which the object is located(e.g., cavity walls) or leakage of energy at an interface between anoven cavity and an oven door. The amount of electromagnetic energyabsorbed in the cavity walls may be substantially small, and thus, theamount of electromagnetic energy absorbed in the object may besubstantially equal to the amount of absorbable energy.

In some of the presently disclosed embodiments, a dissipation ratio maybe calculated using formula (1):DR=(Pin−Prf−Pcp)/Pin  (1)where Pin represents the electromagnetic energy (or energy rate=power)supplied into zone 116 by antennas 118 a, 118 b, and/or 118 c. Prfrepresents the electromagnetic energy (or energy rate=power)reflected/returned at those antennas that function as transmitters, andPcp represents the electromagnetic energy (or energy rate=power) coupledat those antennas that function as receivers. DR may be a value between0 and 1, and thus may be represented by a percentage number.

For example, consistent with an embodiment which is designed for threeantennas 118 a, 118 b and 118 c, processor 112 may be configured todetermine input reflection coefficients S₁₁, S₂₂, and S₃₃ and thetransfer coefficients may be S₁₂=S₂₁, S₁₃=S₃₁, S₂₃=S₃₂ detected bydetector 120 based on a measured power and/or energy information duringa sweep. As used herein, a sweep may include, for example, energytransmission over time at more than one MSE. For example, a sweep mayinclude sequential transmission of energy at multiple MSEs in one ormore contiguous MSE band; sequential transmission of energy at multipleMSEs in more than one non-contiguous MSE band; sequential transmissionof energy at individual non-contiguous MSEs; and/or transmission ofsynthesized pulses having a desired MSE/power spectral content (e.g., asynthesized pulse in time). The MSE bands may be contiguous ornon-contiguous. Thus, during an MSE sweeping process, the controller mayregulate the energy supplied from a source (e.g., source 114) to atleast one radiating elements to sequentially apply electromagneticenergy at various MSEs to zone 116, and to receive EM feedbacks fromzone 116 associated with each MSE. The EM feedbacks and/or any valuescalculated based on the feedbacks may serve as indicators of absorbableenergy by food item 104 at each MSE.

Accordingly, the dissipation ratio DR corresponding to one antenna(e.g., antenna 118 a) may be determined based on the above mentionedreflection and transmission coefficients, according to formula (2):DR=1−(|S ₁₁|² +|S ₁₂|² +|S ₁₃|²).  (2)

The value indicative of the absorbable energy may further involve themaximum incident energy (or energy rate=power) associated with a poweramplifier (not illustrated) at the given MSE. As referred herein, a“maximum incident energy” may be defined as the maximal power that maybe provided to the antenna at a given MSE throughout a given period oftime. Thus, one alternative value indicative of absorbable energy may bethe product of the maximum incident energy and the dissipation ratio.These are just two examples of values that may be indicative ofabsorbable energy. Alternative indicators of absorbable energy may beused, depending for example on the structure employed and theapplication. In some embodiments, one or more sensors configured tomeasure at least one characteristic of the electromagnetic field patternexcited in an energy application zone may be located in the zone. Theone or more sensors may measure for example, the amplitude(s) of fieldintensity at the location(s) of the sensor(s). The amplitude of fieldintensity may be indicative of the absorbable energy.

In certain embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured tocause energy to be supplied to the at least one radiating element in atleast a subset of the plurality of MSEs, wherein energy delivered to thezone at each of the subset of MSEs is inversely related to theabsorbable energy value at the corresponding MSE. Such an inverserelationship may involve a general trend, e.g., when an indicator ofabsorbable energy in a particular MSE subset (i.e., one or more MSEs)tends to be relatively high, the actual incident energy at that MSEsubset may be relatively low. When an indicator of absorbable energy ina particular MSE subset tends to be relatively low, the incident energymay be relatively high. This substantially inverse relationship may beeven more closely correlated. For example, the transmitted energy may beset such that its product with the absorbable energy value (e.g., theabsorbable energy by food product 101) is substantially constant acrossthe MSEs applied.

Alternatively or additionally, processor 112 may be configured to varythe period of time during which energy is applied to each MSE as afunction of the absorbable energy value. At times, both the duration andpower at which each MSE is applied are varied as a function of theabsorbable energy value. Varying the power and/or duration of energysupplied at each MSE may be used to cause substantially uniform energyabsorption in the object or to have a controlled spatial pattern ofenergy absorption, for example, based on feedback from the dissipationproperties of the object at each transmitted MSE.

Because absorbable energy can change based on a host of factorsincluding object temperature, in some embodiments, it may be beneficialto regularly update absorbable energy values and adjust energyapplication based on the updated absorption values. These updates canoccur multiple times a second, or can occur every few seconds or longer,depending on the requirements of a particular application.

In accordance with an aspect of some embodiments of the invention, theat least one processor 112 may be configured to determine a desiredand/or target energy absorption level at each of a plurality of MSEs andadjust energy transmitted from the antenna at each MSE in order toobtain the target energy absorption level at each MSE. For example,processor 112 may be configured to target a desired energy absorptionlevel at each MSE in order to achieve or approximate substantiallyuniform energy absorption in packaged food item 101 across a range ofMSEs.

Alternatively, processor 112 may be configured to provide a targetenergy absorption level at each of a plurality of object portions, whichcollectively may be referred to as an energy absorption profile acrossthe object. An absorption profile may include uniform energy absorptionin the object, non-uniform energy absorption in the object, differingenergy absorption values in differing portions of the object,substantially uniform absorption in one or more portions of the object,or any other desirable pattern of energy absorption in an object orportion(s) of an object.

In some embodiments, the at least one processor may be configured toadjust energy transmitted from the antenna at each MSE in order toobtain a desired target energy effect and/or energy effect in theobject, for example: a different amount of energy may be provided todifferent parts and/or regions of the object.

In some embodiments, detector 120 may include a directional or abi-directional coupler, configured to allow signals to flow from anamplifier to a radiating element when the radiating element functions asa transmitter, and to allow signals to flow from the radiating elementto the detector when the radiating element functions as a receiver.Additionally, the detector may be further configured to measure thepower of a flowing signal. In some embodiments, the detector may alsoinclude other types of circuits that measure the voltage and current ofa flowing signal.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, detector 120, shown within a dashed line box,may be a separate device that couples to processor 112 and/or RF powersource 114. Alternatively, detector 120 may be integrated into RF powersource 114 and/or processor 112.

In RF cooking (e.g., cooking by applying RF energy), the amount ofenergy required to cook food may be an important parameter indetermining how the RF cooking process should proceed. As used herein,the term “amount of energy” may broadly refer to the absolute energyamount (e.g., in J or kJ); the amount of energy per unit weight/mass(e.g., in kJ/kg); the amount of energy per unit volume (e.g., inkJ/liter), or any other appropriate measure of energy.

In RF cooking, a variety of food types may be divided into groups basedon the amount of energy required to cook them. This classification maydiffer from similar classifications used in conventional cooking. Forexample, in conventional cookbooks, cakes and pies are usuallyclassified together under the term “cakes” and quiches have a differentsection. When using RF ovens, pies and quiches, both made from puff orshort pastry, may be classified under the same group, and sponge-likecakes may belong to a different group. Table 1 presents an exemplaryclassification of various food types, related cooking protocols, andcooking energies (per mass/weight) for use in RF ovens, based on the RFenergy absorption. The data listed in Table 1 were obtained from cookingexperiments conducted in exemplary RF ovens.

TABLE 1 Group Cooking Energy No. Classification Protocol [kJ/kg] 1 Beef,veal, ostrich tenderloin, Slow cooking 1500 and lamb Well done  750Medium well  650 Medium  550 Medium rare  450 2 Game (e.g., rabbit,venison, slow Slow cooking 1500 cooking ostrich parts, wild boar, etc.)3 Pork 6500 4 Chicken, duck, turkey cut into pieces 500-700 5 Fish Cutinto pieces  350 Whole fish  400 6 Seafood  200 7 Beet 1200 8 Potatoes,sweet potatoes and the like  700 (turnip, carrot, garlic, etc.) 9Vegetables group I: cabbage, Al dente 1000 cauliflower, broccoli, andmushrooms Medium 1250 Very soft 1500 10 Vegetables group II: Eggplants, 500 zucchini and the like   11 Yeast based dough and pastry  360 12Puff pastry and short pastry, including  500 all types of pie/quiche  crust and cookies 13 Sponge cakes including: chocolate  350 cakes,orange cakes, “ready to bake”   cakes, etc.   15 Fruits group I: apples,pears, apricots,  500 etc. for pie/strudel filling/stuffing   16 Fruitsgroup II: berries, cherries,  300 bananas, figs, etc. for pie/strudelfilling/stuffing

It is noted that the energy amounts listed in Table 1 reflect the amountof energy needed in a prototype RF oven to achieve similar results tocommonly used cooking temperatures and times according to conventionalrecipes. The energy amounts related to groups 1-6 are the amountsrequired to cook the food items to a desired processing result, e.g.,from refrigerating temperature to the desired doneness. The term “amountrequired to cook” represents the amount of energy needed to be absorbedby the food item in order to achieve a desired processing result. Theterm “desired processing result” refers to a desired final state of anobject (e.g., a food item) after processing in an electromagneticprocessing apparatus (e.g., a desired temperature, softness, doneness,etc.). Energy amounts related to groups 7-16 are the amounts required tocook the food items from room temperature. The amount of energy neededto be absorbed by the food item may be calculated by a processor, forexample by multiplication of the incident energy and the dissipationratio measured during cooking process in an RF oven. Various parametersmay affect the values shown in Table 1, including, for example, theinitial temperature of the food (e.g., differences in room temperaturesor the setting of different refrigerators), the ripeness of fruits orvegetables, the aging condition of meat, the degree of rising of yeastdough, etc. The measured (or estimated) values may also be influenced bya fixed or changing loss of energy due to factors other than the food.For example, the loss of energy may be related to oven properties, loadproperties, or anything included in the oven other than the food, forexample, a dish, or any combination thereof. Nevertheless, experimentshave shown that results shown in Table 1 are repeatable using the sameprototype oven with only minor variations related to, for example, thedishes used during the cooking experiments. Such dishes include glass,ceramic, polymer-based, or even metallic materials (some exceptionsinclude certain types of ceramic dishes that absorbed water and Pyrexdishes that contain thin metallic rods). In addition, since cooking inan RF oven may cause less drying of the food, over cooking may besubstantially unnoticeable in many foods cooked by RF energy; or ifnoticeable, such over cooking may result in minimal damage to foodquality. Of course, the energy amount may vary for different cooks orfor different ovens, in a similar way to cooking time and cookingtemperature considered when using a conventional oven.

The degree of aging or aging time may affect the optimal cookingconditions needed to cook certain meat, e.g., beef to a desired degreeof doneness. The longer the aging time, for example, the lower the finalcooking temperature and the shorter the time needed for the meat toreach a target degree of doneness. An additional factor that may affectselected cooking conditions may include the method used to age the meat.Two aging methods are commonly used: dry aging—in which the meat is hungto dry for several weeks; and wet-aging—in which the meat is aged in avacuum sealed bag to retain its moisture. In the dry aging method, themeat has less moisture content thus requiring lower final temperature tobe cooked to the same degree. Every type of meat has a recommendedminimum and maximum aging time, defining a recommended aging timeinterval for each aging method. Meat aged for shorter than the minimumrecommended time may become chewy upon cooking. On the other hand, meataged longer than the maximum recommended time may become rotten andshould not be cooked. In order to gain the same degree of doneness intwo meat pieces from the same type having different aging periods and/ordifferent aging methods, the meat having the shorter aging period mayneed to be cooked to a different temperature (e.g., a highertemperature) to obtain the same degree of doneness.

Other factors associated with the food to be cooked may affect selectionof an appropriate set of cooking conditions (e.g., cooking energy). Suchselections may result in deviations in the actual amount of energyneeded to cook the food as compared to an average, expected amount ofenergy to cook a certain type of food. For example, food storageconditions may affect the moisture content of stored food. Higherhumidity environments may result in a higher content of moisture in drygrains or legumes, and such a variation in moisture content may affectcooking parameters. Parameters such as salt content, fat content,initial temperature, aging time, degree of aging, etc. may also affectselection of appropriate cooking parameters in order to achieve a targetcooking result in the food.

As an example of how aging time can affect cooking conditions requiredto reach a desired level of doneness, two slices of beef sirloin A and Bweighing about 500 gr. aged in vacuum for 5 weeks and 3 weeks,respectively, were cooked separately. Each of the slices was at about 6°C. before cooking in an RF oven. For sirloin slice A (5 weeks aging),absorption of 175 kJ was required for cooking the beef to 55° C., atwhich the meat reached a medium degree of doneness. For sirloin B (3aging weeks), absorption of 195 kJ was required for cooking the beef to56° C., at which the meat reached a medium-rare degree of doneness. Tofurther cook sirloin slice B to a medium level of doneness, 205 kJ totalwas needed, which was achieved at a final temperature of 59° C.

In another cooking experiment, 8 slices of beef sirloin weighing about500 gr. were aged in vacuum for 4 different aging periods: 5 weeks, 4weeks, 3 weeks and 2 weeks (two slices for every aging period). Theslices were cooked separately in an RF oven, until an amount of energyof 175 kJ was absorbed. The final average temperatures of the slices,taken near the center of each slice, and the degree of doneness arelisted below:

5 weeks—55° C.—medium

4 weeks—50° C.—medium rare

3 weeks—47° C.—rare

2 weeks—43.5° C.—rare

In some embodiments of the invention, a prepackaged food item has amachine readable element associated with it or its packaging. Themachine readable element may have information relating to storageconditions (e.g., aging conditions of meat), salt content, fat content,moisture content, initial temperature, or the like, that may affect anamount of energy needed to reach a target final cooking state. Themachine readable element may also include additional informationrelevant to cooking, including, e.g., food category, food type (e.g.,beef entrecote, etc.), mass/weight, the desired degree of doneness, orthe desired final temperature, or any other suitable parameter relatedto cooking. Such information may be read from the machine readableelement, indicated by the user, received from a remote location on theInternet, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments of the invention, a prepackaged meat item (e.g.,beef tenderloin, entrecote, sirloin, game, lamb or others) may include amachine readable element associated with it or its packaging. Themachine readable element may include various types of information,including, e.g., an amount of energy needed for cooking, the degree ofaging, date of butchering, packaging date, aging method, humidity level,non aging storage conditions, aging time, fat content, cut type, cutmass/weight, etc. Additional information may include: food category,food type (e.g., beef entrecote), mass/weight, the desired degree ofdoneness, or the desired final temperature or the like. Such informationmay be read from the machine readable element, indicated by the user, ora combination thereof. In some embodiments, the machine readable elementmay include one or more codes and/or ID numbers and the processor may beconfigured to receive various types of information from, for example, alookup table stored in a memory associated with the processor or from aremote location on the Internet (e.g., a website). The code and/or IDnumber may be read automatically from the machine readable element.Additionally or alternatively, the code and/or ID number may be inputmanually by a user via a user interface.

If the aging time exceeds a recommended or permitted period or is lessthan recommended, the oven may prompt the user that the cookingconditions are not appropriate. Optionally, the oven may suggest variousoptions to the user in these situations. For example, the oven mayprompt the user to further age the meat, increase cooking time, or takeanother suitable action. In case of over aged meat, the oven mayindicate to the user or otherwise prompt the user to dispose of themeat. A user override may be available.

In some embodiments of the invention, the meat may be cooked in apackage or taken out from the package before cooking. A machine readableelement associated with the package or meat may include one or more ofthe following types of information:

the type of food item: e.g., beef sirloin;

the mass/weight of the item: e.g., 500 grams;

the butchering date or aging time: e.g., 5 weeks;

the aging method: e.g., vacuum aging;

the desired final cooking temperature: e.g., approximately 55° C.; or

the desired doneness: e.g., medium.

The apparatus controller (e.g., processor 112) may determine, based onthe information received, the amount of EM energy needed to be absorbedin each piece of meat, optionally using a look up table havinginformation regarding the correlation between aging time, finaltemperature, and the degree of doneness.

Referring back to FIG. 1, interface 110 may include a barcode reader, anRFID reader, an LCD, a keypad, a touch screen, a GUI, a camera, amicrophone, or any combination thereof. The interface may be a handhelddevice detachable from RF oven 108, or a fixed component integrated intoRF oven 108. The interface may acquire information from machine readableelement and/or received instructions from a user and/or receiveinformation stored at a remote location via various communication means,such as wired or wireless network, direct link, Bluetooth,telecommunication network, or any other suitable communication methods.

In some embodiments, packaging 102 may include a box-shaped structuremade of or including paper, plastic, metal foil (partially), or acombination thereof, or any other suitable materials for enclosing orpartially enclosing food item 104. Packaging 102 may also include vacuumbag, air tight bag, zipper bag, glass bottle, plastic bottle, oranything other suitable forms of enclosure for isolating food item 104from outside air, water, and/or solid matter. Food item 104 may beenclosed or partially enclosed by packaging 102, or may be attached to,stuck on, tightened together with, or associated with packaging 102 inany other suitable manners.

Similarly, tag 106 may be associated with packaging 102 in any suitableways. For example, tag 106 may be printed on, attached to, or embeddedin, the packaging 102. In some embodiments, tag 106 may be machinereadable. For example, tag 106 may be a barcode, a RFID tag, or acombination thereof.

In some embodiments, tag 106 may include information for use byprocessor 112 in determining instructions for electromagneticallycooking food item 104. The information may be stored in a storage area(not shown) of the tag, for example, in the form of one or more codes,digits, numbers, letters, or a combination thereof. Alternatively oradditionally, the information may be built in to a circuit associatedwith the tag. For example, a resonant circuit may be constructed andassociated with the tag, which contains information such as one or moreresonant frequencies/wavelengths due to the electric characteristics ofthe circuit itself. In any event, such information may be read by RFoven 108, e.g., through interface 110, and may be processed by aprocessor (e.g., processor 112) to determine cooking instructions.

In some embodiments, the information may include one or more valuesconfigured to enable processor 112 to determine an amount of energy tobe supplied to food item 104 for cooking. For example, the informationmay include a value representing the type of food item 104. In thiscase, different types of food may be associated with distinct numbers orcodes, which may be predetermined and/or pre-programmed in system 100.Alternatively or additionally, different food types may be groupedtogether according to their common characteristics during RF cooking,and assigned a common code. An exemplary grouping may be found inTable 1. In addition to the food types, cooking protocols, such as slowcooking and required doneness shown in Table 1, may also be included inthe information. In some embodiments, the information may include valuesrepresenting the mass or weight of the food item.

By way of example, tag 106 may include a 16-digit binary code dividedinto three sections. The first section, comprising 4 digits, mayrepresent the 16 food groups in Table 1. The second section, comprising4 digits, may represent up to 16 cooking protocols. The third section,comprising the last 8 digits, may represent the mass/weight of the fooditem. For example, up to 256 mass/weight values may be encoded. If therange of mass/weight value is from 0 to 2.5 kg, then the resolution maybe as high as about 0.01 kg. Of course, fewer or larger number of digitsand/or sections may be used, depending on the actual needs, costs,and/or design considerations.

In some embodiments, the information may include one or more valuesrepresenting the required amounts of energy. It is noted that thevalue(s) included in the information may not be the same as the actualamount(s) of energy required to cook the food item. Rather, the value(s)may be an encoded version and have mapping relationship with the actualamount(s) of energy.

By way of example, tag 106 may include a 19-digit binary code dividedinto two sections. The first section may include 11 digits representingup to 2048 different energy values. Such energy values may range from,for example, 100 to 2148 kJ/kg, with an incremental step of 1 kJ/kg. Thesecond section may include 8 digits representing mass/weight, similar tothe example discussed above. In this case, instead of determining thecorrect amount of energy from a lookup table (such as Table 1) usingfood type and cooking protocol, the processor may obtain such energyamount from the information read directly from the tag.

In some embodiments, food item 104 may include substantially raw meat,such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, turkey, etc. Under suchconditions, the amount of energy to be supplied to the food item may beless than about 2000 kJ/kg. In another embodiment, food item 104 mayinclude substantially uncooked dough. In yet another embodiment, fooditem 104 may include one or more vegetables. Other food types may alsobe included in food item 104. In some embodiments, the maximum amount ofenergy to be supplied to the food item may be less than about 1600kJ/kg.

In some embodiments, the food item may include more than one foodcomponent. Each food component may correspond to a respective requiredamount of energy. In this case, the processor may determine the totalamount of energy to be supplied to the food item.

In some embodiments, the information included in the machine readableelement may be configured to authenticate the cooking instructions. Forexample, the information may include a specific code that represents theidentity of the packaged food item. Upon receiving a cooking request andacquiring the information, the processor may first verify the specificcode to determine if the packaged food item is produced, distributed,and/or sold by authorized entities. If the authentication process ispassed, the cooking process will then begin. Otherwise, the processormay refuse the cooking request.

In some embodiments, the food item may be frozen (e.g., frozen chicken,fish, pizza, or any other type of frozen food). The informationcontained in the tag may be configured to instruct the RF oven to thawthe food item prior to cooking.

In some embodiments, the information may be configured to cause theprocessor to prompt a user for additional instructions during cookingprocess. One or more aspects related to the cooking may be selectedand/or input by the user. For example, a food item including beefsteakmay require the user to select desired doneness. In this case,information included in the tag may be configured to inform theprocessor to prompt a message (e.g., a display, sound, or thecombination thereof) to notice the user. The user may then input orselect desired cooking option through the interface and the processormay carry on the cooking process based on the user's input.

In some embodiments, the machine readable element may be configured tobe rendered nonfunctional upon exposure to electromagnetic energy duringthe cooking process. For example, the machine readable element maycontain heat-sensitive material that causes the information includedtherein to be erased or destroyed upon exposure to heat during a cookingprocess. Additionally or alternatively, the machine readable element mayinclude a circuit sensitive to heat or electromagnetic radiation, and asa result of the cooking process, the circuit may be renderedinoperative. Optionally, the machine readable element may be configuredto reveal information upon exposure to RF heating (e.g., the cause ofthermal energy to be developed in an object due to RF energy absorptionby the object). For example, the machine readable element may containheat-sensitive material that becomes visible upon exposure to RFheating. The machine readable element may initially reveal partialinformation relating to a first cooking or operation step. To completecooking, additional information may be revealed at a later stage.

Food items containing water, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat may becooked by increasing the temperature of the food to a desired degree.For example, proteins are cooked by heating the food to a desiredtemperature to achieve denaturation. Thus, when the coldest part of thefood reaches the desired temperature, cooking may be stopped. Forexample, a steak, cooked in an oven or barbeque grill may be ready whenits interior part reaches a target temperature corresponding to acertain degree of doneness, e.g., 55-60° C. for medium or 75° C. forwell-done. In an RF oven, beef may receive the exact amount of energyneeded to heat the entire steak to the desired degree of doneness, seeTable 1. This cooking protocol may relate to all types of meat and fish.It may also be applicable for baking (cakes, breads, pies and the like),because the carbohydrates in baking (e.g., flour) do not contain pectin,only starch, and do not require additional energy for softening.

Some embodiments of the invention may include a method for cooking apackaged food item using an RF oven to reach a final desiredtemperature. Such a method may be accomplished, for example, through atleast one processor implementing a series of steps of process 300 suchas the one set forth in the flow chart of FIG. 3.

In step 302, the processor may receive food-identifying informationcharacterizing at least one food item to be processed (e.g., cooked,thawed, heated, etc.). For example, processor 112 may receive suchinformation through interface 110. The food-identifying information mayinclude food type, food group (e.g., exemplary groups in Table 1), foodmass, amount of energy absorption per unit mass, or other informationcharacterizing a food item. The food item, while in singular form, maycontain one or more different food items (e.g., food components oringredients). The processor may receive information of one or more ofsuch food items. In some embodiments, the processor may control thecooking process based on one or more major food items or food componentsif the food item contains a plurality of food items. For example, a fooditem may contain beef, potato, and some spices. The processor maycontrol the cooking process based on the characteristic information ofthe beef and potato, which constitute the major part of the food item,and ignore the spices. The information receiving step may be implementedby reading a barcode using a barcode reader, reading an RFID tag usingan RFID tag reader, taking a picture of the packaged food item andanalyzing the image, receiving input from a GUI, keypad, keyboard, ortouch screen, analyzing voice recorded from a microphone, or any othersuitable methods. In some embodiments, food-identifying information mayinclude a tag ID, e.g., identification of a barcode tag, an RFID tag, orany other information identifying a tag. Food-identifying informationmay be used to infer other data, for example, mass/weight data, foodtype, food group, amount of energy absorption per unit mass, or otherinformation characterizing a food item.

In step 304, the processer may also obtain the mass/weight of the fooditem. As used herein, the “mass” of a food item may include any measuresassociated with the quantity of matter that the food item contains, suchas “weight,” “heaviness,” etc. For example, the processer may acquirethe mass information from the tag associated with the food item.Alternatively or additionally, the processor may obtain the massinformation through measurement. Optionally, the mass may be indicatedby the user via the interface. For example, a scale or sensor (e.g.,mass/weight sensor) may be provided in the cavity of the RF oven toenable determination of the mass/weight of the food item.

In step 306, the processor may acquire data regarding the requiredamount of energy to cook the food item (the amount of energy needed tobe absorbed by the food item, as calculated by the processor from EMfeedbacks detected by detector(s) 120). As discussed above, such datamay be acquired through reading the information included in the tag. Therequired amount of energy may be determined from food type/group anddesired cooking protocol. The required amount of energy may bedetermined from food type/group and/or the food item mass information.Alternatively, the amount of energy may be directly read from the tag.Such an energy amount, e.g., in the unit of kJ/kg, indicates the energyper unit mass required to cook the food item to achieve a desiredheating result. It is noted that although the cooking process may alsobe referred to as a “heating process,” such a heating process is broadlydefined as a process involving heat transfer, and, therefore, may or maynot result in a temperature increase.

In step 308, the processor may calculate the total amount of energy tobe absorbed by the food item. The total amount of energy required tocook the food item may be calculated by E=ΣE_(i)×M_(i), where E is thetotal energy, E_(i) is the energy per unit mass for the i^(th) fooditem, and M_(i) is the mass of the i^(th) food item.

In step 310, the processor may control the RF power source to applyelectromagnetic energy to the food item using one or more MSEs. Forexample, RF energy may be applied using one or more frequencies. Theprocessor may monitor the amount of energy absorbed by the food item,e.g., at each MSE. For example, the absorbed energy may be determined bysubtracting the reflected energy and coupled energy from the incidentenergy. The monitored absorbed energy may include the energy loss due tothe radiating elements, cavity, and/or other structures other than thefood item, such as a container or packaging. Those losses may besubstantially constant in every cooking, using the same oven (forexample for all ovens from the same type/series, etc.) and the samepackage. In some embodiments the losses in the package or the mold maybe negligible using a package with low losses, for example: paper,various plastics, etc.

In step 312, the process may terminate the heating process (RF energyapplication) if the monitored energy amount, which represents the energyabsorbed by the food item, reaches the total energy amount to beabsorbed by the food item determined in step 308, thereby finishing thecooking process.

Vegetables contain different amounts of carbohydrates, and invegetables, several types of polysaccharides, such as pectin and starch,need to absorb moisture in order to “soften.” Also, several meat or beeftype foods require slow-cooking, like the neck of cow that containsfibers that needs to be disassociated for the beef to soften. Therefore,certain cooking protocols in accordance with exemplary disclosedembodiments may include additional time for “softening.” In theseprotocols, the food may be warmed up to a certain temperature and thenkept in the RF oven for an additional period of time.

In RF cooking, the additional time period may be replaced withadditional energy. In certain embodiments, there may be a correlationbetween the amount of energy needed to heat up the food and the amountof energy needed for “softening.” For example, if a certain food typerequires X amount of energy to reach the cooking temperature, the totalcooking energy may be a function of X, for example, a multiplication ofX by a fixed value n, where n may be, for example, 2, 2.5 or 3. Table 2presents several of such correlations, taken from various cookingexperiments conducted in prototype RF ovens.

TABLE 2 Energy for Energy for Total Cooking heating up softening energyFood type potocol [kJ/kg] [kJ/kg] [kJ/kg] n Beef, veal, ostrich Slow 750750 1500 2 tenderloin, and lamb cooking Potatoes, sweet 350 350 700 2potatoes and the like (turnip, carrot, garlic) Cabbage, cauliflower, Aldente 500 500 1000 2 broccoli, mushrooms Medium 500 750 1250 2.5 Over500 1000 1500 3 cooked Beet 400 800 1200 3

In one experiment, 450 gr. of potatoes, sliced to eighths were baked inan RF oven. The amount of energy that was required to cook the potatoesin each of the heating and softening stages was 0.45*350=157.5 kJ.Temperature measurements were performed before cooking, after theheating stage, and at the end of cooking. In the heating stage, thetemperature increased from 22° C. to 83° C. (ΔT=61° C.). During thesoftening stage, the temperature increased only by an additional 19° C.(from 83° C. to 101° C.) although the same amount of energy (157.5 kJ)was absorbed by the potatoes.

In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, RF oven 108 may beconfigured to perform a heating and softening process in accordance amethod 400, shown in FIG. 4A. Using this method, the processor maydetermine a time-temperature profile, such as profile 420 shown in FIG.4B, and may cause an additional heating process based on thetime-temperature profile. The time-temperature profile may include oneor more indicators of a time needed to reach a given temperature, a rateof temperature change over time (or an average rate thereof) or acombination of several rates/functions showing a relation between timeand temperature.

In step 402, the processor (e.g., processor 112) may receivecharacterizing information related to an object (e.g., food item) to beprocessed. Similar to method 300, such characterizing information mayinclude food type, food group (e.g., exemplary groups in Table 1), foodmass, amount of energy absorption per unit mass, or other informationcharacterizing a food item.

In step 404, the processor may control or cause power source 114 toapply RF energy such that a first amount of EM energy may be dissipatedin the object based on the characterization information, or at apredetermined amount regardless of the characterizing information (e.g.,food type), or based on any other methods that may define the firstamount of energy. In this step, the processor may perform a monitoringprocess similar to step 310. In addition, the processor may also recorda temperature change of the object during this heating step. Thetemperature change may be detected by any temperature sensor (i.e., athermometer). For example, one or more thermocouple may be located atvarious locations in the object; an IR camera may be configured tomeasure the surface temperature of the object; a wireless thermometermay be placed in zone 116, etc.

In step 406, the processor may determine a time-temperature profileassociated with the object resulting from the absorption of the firstamount of energy to the object. For example, FIG. 4B shows an exemplarytime-temperature profile 420. In profile 420, point A represents thestarting point of the heating process, where the temperature of theobject is T0 and time is 0. After the first amount of energy issupplied, the time advances to ta and the temperature increases to T1,and the profile arrives at point B. The time-temperature profile definedby the curve between A and B may be determined by the processor. Forexample, the processor may monitor the temperature of the object atfixed time intervals and save the time values and temperature values ina memory during the first heating process. Then, in step 406, the timevalues and temperature values stored in the memory may be accessed bythe processor to determine the time-temperature profile. Alternatively,temperature may be measured before and after the first heating process.That is, temperature may be measured only at points A and B, and theprofile may be represented by a temperature change T1−T0.

In step 408, the processor may determine a second amount of energy to bedissipated in the object to achieve a predetermined and/or desiredprocessing result based on the first amount of energy dissipated in theobject, the characterization information related to the object, and/orthe time-temperature profile. As used herein, the predetermined and/ordesired processing result may include, for example, reaching a certaintemperature; absorbing a certain amount of energy; heating for apredetermined time; achieving a desired degree of doneness (rare,medium, well done, etc.), level of browning, degree of softness, etc.;or any other desired and/or predetermined outcomes that may resultingfrom energy dissipation. For example, a food item may be heated up to acertain temperature during the first heating period, such as fromtemperature T0 to T1, as shown in time-temperature profile 420 of FIG.4B. During the same time period, an amount of energy E1 was absorbed bythe food item, corresponding to the curve from point F to G in timeenergy profile 440 of FIG. 4B. At time ta (or earlier, based on theslope and the know temperature T1), an additional amount of energy to beabsorbed by the food item for softening may be determined by theprocessor, based on the current temperature T1 and absorbed energy E1.Based on the characteristics of the food item, including the food typeand/or desired doneness, a second amount of energy may be determined asrequired to achieve the softening result. For example, the second amountof energy may be substantially the same as the first amount of energy,such as point H corresponding to E2=2*E1 at time tb, therefore thesecond amount of energy ΔE=E2−E1=E1. Alternatively, the second amount ofenergy may be a linear function of the first amount of energy, such aspoints J and K, corresponding to E3=3*E1 and E4=4*E1, at times tc andtd, respectively. Therefore, for the second amount of energy, ΔE=2E1 and3E1, respectively. The temperature increase, such as ΔT=T2−T1, may notbe as large as T1−T0, as shown in point C of profile 420 in FIG. 4B. Itis noted that the time-temperature profile A-B-C (420) may notnecessarily be linear and that point tb may not be similar for points H,J, and K. If the temperature T1 is reached before ta, then the secondamount of energy may be a sum of the amount of energy needed to reach taand the amount needed for the second slope shown in FIG. 4B, e.g., theslope defined by points H, J, and K.

In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to cause supply ofthe second amount of energy to the object using EM energy applied in aplurality of MSEs. As discussed above, the processor may control the RFpower source to modulate the frequency, phase, and amplitude of EMwaves. In this case, one or more MSEs may be selected to supply the EMenergy during the second energy delivery process. For example, theprocessor may control the oscillator to output EM waves at a pluralityof frequencies.

In some embodiments, the temperature T1 at point B of FIG. 4B may be atarget temperature, and energy may be supplied during the first heatprocess until the target temperature is reached. Thereafter, the secondamount of energy delivery may be a linear function of the first amount.For example, the second amount may be 1, 2, 2.5, or 3 times of the firstamount in order to achieve softening.

In some embodiments, the object to be heated may include raw meat. Inanother embodiment, the object may include a starchy food item. In yetanother embodiment, the object may include uncooked legume item. In yetanother embodiment, the object may include vegetables.

In some embodiments of the present invention, RF oven 108 may also beconfigured to perform a heating and heating maintenance process inaccordance with method 450, shown in FIG. 4C. Using this method, theprocessor may acquire a time-temperature profile, such as profile 420shown in FIG. 4B, then conduct first and second heating processes basedon the time-temperature profile. It is noted that method 450 may also beused for softening food items.

According to this method, in step 452, the processor may receivecharacterizing information, e.g., via the interface, similar to step402. Then, in step 454, the processor may acquire a time-temperatureprofile for heating the object. The time-temperature profile may includea temperature increase segment and a substantially constant segment. Forexample, curve A-B-C shown in FIG. 4B illustrates such a profile, wherethe temperature increase segment A-B has a relatively larger slope andthe substantially constant segment B-C has a significantly smallerslope. Such profile may be acquired via the interface, or theinformation associated with the profile may be partially acquired viathe interface and partially determined by the processor. In someembodiments, the profile may be recorded in a memory associated with theprocessor, and acquired from the memory upon request.

In step 456, the processor may control the RF power source to deliver RFenergy such that a known amount of energy to may be absorbed by theobject and measure the temperature change due to the energy delivery.For example, the processor may regulate the RF power source to supply EMenergy at one or more MSEs with known energy, and control a temperaturedetector to measure the temperature change.

In step 458, the processor may determine a first amount of EM energy tobe applied to the object in order to achieve temperature increaseaccording to the temperature increase segment of the time-temperatureprofile. Such determination may be based on the characterizinginformation, the measured temperature, and the amount of energy that isabsorbed (in step 456). For example, the known amount of energy suppliedto the object and the temperature change measured in step 456 may beused to predict the first amount of energy needed to heat the object toa target temperature, such as T1 in FIG. 4B. The processor may thencontrol the RF power source to apply the determined first amount ofenergy to the object in order to increase its temperature. In someembodiments, the first step is done by measuring the amount of energythat was applied during an initial portion of the first segment andcalculation based thereon of the first amount of energy.

In step 460, the processor may determine a second amount of EM energy inorder to achieve the constant segment of the time-temperature profileand to heat the object to a target temperature, such as T2, based on theenergy absorbed by the object and the temperature change measured instep 456. This step is similar to step 458. Thereafter, the processormay control the RF power source to apply the determined second amount ofenergy to the object. Similar to method 400, the second amount of energymay be a linear function of the first amount. In some embodiments, thesecond amount may be substantially equal to the first amount.

At times, the total amount of energy needed for cooking food item havingtwo or more major ingredients with different energy requirements forcooking (e.g., that do not mix to form a homogeneous mixture) may becalculated as the sum of energies required to cook each of theingredients separately. For example, in order to convert or translate aconventional recipe for cooking, for example, salmon with broccoli andgarlic, knowing the mass/weight (W in kg) of each ingredient, and usingthe data from Table 1, the total amount of energy will be:E _(total)[kJ]=W _(salmon)*350 [kJ/kg]+W _(broccoli)*1000 [kJ/kg]+W_(garlic)*700 [kJ/kg].  (3)

Based on the principle discussed above, an RF oven may be configured toheat at least two food items or food components simultaneously. As usedherein, the food items may include food components and/or foodingredients. The at least two food items may belong to different foodgroups, such as the groups shown in Table 1. The RF oven may include aninterface, a processor, and an RF power source, as illustrated in FIG.2A. The processor may be configured to perform method 500 shown in FIG.5, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

In step 502, the processor may receive information characterizing aplurality of food items or food components to be heated. Such areceiving step is similar to, for example, step 402. In someembodiments, the information received, e.g., via the interface,characterizing the plurality of food items or food components mayinclude food groups associated with each of the plurality of foodcomponents or items, and wherein the food groups are selected fromproteins, vegetables, dairy, and starches.

In some embodiments, a total amount of energy (E_(total)) to be absorbedto the plurality of food items can be represented by formula (4):E _(total) =nX+mY+lZ  (4)where n, m, l, . . . are non-zero constants, X, Y, Z . . . correspond toan amount of energy to be absorbed by each of the plurality of fooditems. For example, in step 504, the processor may determine an amountof energy to be absorbed by each of the food items (X, Y, . . . ), forexample according to steps 302, 304 and 306 presented in FIG. 3. In someembodiments, X and Y may differ by no more than a factor of two.

In step 506, constants n, m, . . . , which may correspond to themass/weight of each food item, may be determined. In some embodiments, nand m are substantially equal. In other embodiments, n and m aresubstantially equal to one. In yet other embodiments, n and m may differno more than a factor of two.

In step 508, the total amount of energy to be absorbed by the food itemmay be calculated according to equation (4), e.g., E_(total)=nX+mY+ . .. . Based on the calculated total amount of energy to be absorbed theprocessor may regulate the application of energy to the food item.

In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to regulate energydelivery to the food item such that each determined amount of energy isabsorbed by the respective food item. For example, when there are two ormore food items being cooked simultaneously and the amounts needed tocook them are different, the processor may control the RF power sourceto deliver different amounts of energy according to the required amountsof energy needed to cook these two or more food items. In someembodiments, there may be no direct control of which amount of energygoes into each food item. In other embodiments, heating may be performedwith the goal of uniform dissipation, regardless of the specific amountof energy needed to cook each food type.

The principle of simultaneous cooking of multiple food items may also beextended to a prepackaged food item that comprises a container, aplurality of food items, and a machine readable element. Such a fooditem (e.g., food item 101) has been discussed previously in connectionwith FIGS. 1 and 2A. In some embodiments, the plurality of food itemsmay be cooked without shielding. In other embodiments, the food itemsmay all be present in the oven during the whole process of cooking. Insome embodiments, information included in the tag or machine readableelement may include spatial information indicative of a position of aplurality of food items, e.g., relative to a container. In someembodiments, the container may include at least one positioning elementconfigured to aid in orientation of the container within a RF oven. Forexample, the container may include a mechanical structure which matchesor mates with a counterpart structure in the RF oven.

Referring to FIG. 6, the processor may be configured to perform themethod 600 for cooking a food item using the RF oven, in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention. In step 602, the processor maydetermine the type of food item and may receive characterizinginformation indicative, e.g., of whether the food item is substantiallyhomogeneous. In addition, the processor may receive classificationinformation identifying a food type associated with the food item, e.g.,in order to determine the type of food item. Such characterizinginformation and classification information may be received through aninterface. The interface may be remotely located with respect to the RFoven, or may be in the proximity of the RF oven.

In step 604, the processor may determine if the food item issubstantially homogeneous. If it is (step 604: YES), then the processmay continue to steps 612, 614, and 616, which are similar to steps 304,308, and 310. If the food item is determined to be not homogeneous (step604: NO), then the process may continue to step 606, where the maincomponents of the non-homogeneous food item may be determined andcharacterized. Thereafter, in step 608, mass for each main component maybe obtained (similar to step 304). And in step 610, the total amount ofenergy may be determined, according to equation (4) (similar to step508). The process may finish at step 616, where the food item is cookedby absorbing EM energy, e.g., the processor may cause the RF powersource to apply EM energy to the food item at a plurality of MSEs.

In some embodiments, all the methods discussed above may be used toconvert conventional cooking instructions for any recipes fromconventional cooking methods (e.g., cooking on a stove, backing/roastingin an oven, thawing/cooking in conventional microwave, etc.) to cookingusing an RF oven. The processor may obtain (e.g., from a user or fromwebsite), a list of food ingredients needed for cooking a selected fooditem according to a recipe (e.g., the identity and the quantity(mass/weight) of each ingredient). The processor may further obtain oneor more of desired cooking results, for example the degree of donenessof a roast beef, the level of browning of a turkey, etc. The processormay determine based on the list of ingredients using any one of methods300, 500, and 600, or a combination of the one or more of the methods,and the amount of energy that needs to be dissipated in the food item,in order to achieve the desired cooking result.

In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to determine theamount of energy to be absorbed by the food item by accessing one ormore look-up tables stored in a memory, such as Tables 1 and 2. Thelook-up table may be stored in a memory located in the processor or inimmediate association therewith. Alternatively or additionally, thelook-up table may be stored in a memory located at a remote location andacquired by the controller via various communication means, such aswired or wireless network, direct link, Bluetooth, telecommunicationnetwork, or any other suitable communication methods.

In the foregoing Description of Exemplary Embodiments, various featuresare grouped together in a single embodiment for purposes of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than allfeatures of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the followingclaims are hereby incorporated into this Description of the ExemplaryEmbodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment of the invention.

Moreover, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromconsideration of the specification and practice of the presentdisclosure that various modifications and variations can be made to thedisclosed systems and methods without departing from the scope of theinvention, as claimed. Thus, it is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of thepresent disclosure being indicated by the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for electromagnetically cooking anon-homogeneous food item composed of a plurality of different foodcomponents, the apparatus comprising: an interface; and at least oneprocessor configured to: receive, via the interface, classificationinformation including a plurality of food type identifiers identifying afood type associated with each different food component in the food itemand also including a plurality of weight values identifying a weightvalue associated with each different food component in the food item;determine an amount of energy to be absorbed by the food item based onthe plurality of food type identifiers and the plurality of weightvalues; and control at least one source of electromagnetic energy todeliver energy to the food item such that the determined amount ofenergy is absorbed by the food item.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive, via theinterface, characterizing information indicating that the food item isnon-homogeneous.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor isconfigured to determine the amount of energy to be absorbed by the fooditem by accessing one or more look-up tables stored in a memory.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the classification information is receivedby the interface from a user interface device.
 5. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the determined amount of energy to be absorbed by the fooditem is a total amount of energy E=nX+mY+lZ . . . , where n, m, l . . .are non-zero constants; X, Y, Z . . . correspond to amounts of energy tobe absorbed by respective main components of the inhomogeneous fooditem.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of electromagneticenergy is controlled to deliver energy and to allow the food item toabsorb the determined amount of energy.
 7. An apparatus forelectromagnetically cooking a non-homogeneous food item composed of aplurality of different food components, the apparatus comprising: aninterface; and at least one processor configured to: receive, via theinterface, classification information including a plurality of food typeidentifiers identifying a food type associated with each different foodcomponent in the food item and also including a plurality of weightvalues identifying a weight value associated with each different foodcomponent in the food item; determine an amount of energy to be absorbedby the food item based on the plurality of food type identifiers and theplurality of weight values; control at least one source ofelectromagnetic energy to deliver energy to the food item; monitor anenergy amount representing an amount of energy absorbed by the fooditem; and terminate energy delivery to the food item after the monitoredenergy amount reaches the determined amount of energy to be absorbed bythe food item.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least oneprocessor is configured to: receive, via the interface, characterizinginformation indicating that the food item is non-homogeneous.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determinethe amount of energy to be absorbed by the food item by accessing one ormore look-up tables stored in a memory.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein the classification information is received by the interface froma user interface device.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein thedetermined amount of energy to be absorbed by the food item is a totalamount of energy E=nX+mY+lZ . . . , where n, m, l . . . are non-zeroconstants; X, Y, Z . . . correspond to amounts of energy to be absorbedby respective main components of the inhomogeneous food item.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the energy amount representing an amountof energy absorbed by the food item includes an energy loss due tostructures other than the food item.
 13. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein the source of electromagnetic energy is controlled to deliverenergy and to allow the food item to absorb the determined amount ofenergy.